Finding Redemption: Brotherhood
by Kihte
Summary: {(FMAB based w/2003 mix) Rating subject to change. REWRITE OF FINDING REDEMPTION} Military dog, Linor Ziegler, joined for one reason- to be an Ishvalan influence & make a change. She strives to change the views & treatment of Ishvalans in Amestris, but her ties & loyalty to Mustang get her into a whole new breed of trouble she wasn't prepared for. Eventual Scar/OC, slight Falman/OC
1. Ch 1: The Ishvalan Dog

OK SO WELCOME BACK if you've read my original version of 'Finding Redemption' and welcome if you haven't! I've done a COMPLETE rework of my first story so say hello to 'Finding Redemption; Brotherhood' lol. It will follow the general same basic plotline, but I've extended it a bit and rewrote it all so hopefully, it flows better. I'm going to leave the original on my page just in case ya'll feel like reading it or like it better, idk, but I'll be discontinuing that version in favor of this one. I hope you all enjoy this new and improved version! Please enjoy!

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**_August 21st, 1914_**

Bright crimson eyes looked over the papers from behind dark shades. The military woman's free arm rested against the back of the couch that sat in front of Roy's office desk, her tanned fingers instinctively tapping the leather as she read.

"Sounds like your trip to Central went well," Her raspy voice mocked, her gaze drifting up past the documents to look at the infamous Flame Alchemist. Roy looked back at the woman with an unamused expression laced on his face.

She was looking at the reports on Isaac McDougal, the Freezing Alchemist, catching up on the happenings in Central thanks to Mustang who was willing to share his knowledge with her. Unfortunately for Roy, it wasn't his proudest moment and to reward him for his job not-so-well done, he had received a nasty cold.

"It was only a joke," The woman muttered, getting nothing but a cough and a sniffle in return. Tucking some of her jet-black hair that fell from her half-bun behind her ear, she looked over the papers again. Flipping the page, the woman's eyes widened when she stumbled on a vaguely familiar word. "What's this about Alkahestry?" She asked, looking up at Roy from over her shades.

"Beats me," The man admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "I haven't had the time to look it up, but apparently that's what McDougal was using to activate the transmutation circles around Central." Roy's companion looked back down to the foreign word, hoping if she stared at it long enough, she'd remember where she knew it from. "Do you know what it is?"

"It sounds familiar," Pausing for a moment and having no luck, she unlatched the single paper from the clipboard. "Mind if I take this?" She asked, holding the document up.

"It's all yours," Roy insisted, the woman folding it up and tucking it in her uniform pocket. Catching some more of the remaining document details, the woman's lips curved into a sly smile.

"'The efforts of the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, helped put a stop to McDougal's uprising.'. Sounds like the Fullmetal boy is more than just all talk and attitude." The woman remarked as she read off the paper, crossing her legs and then gently tapping the clipboard on her knee.

"He's reckless," Roy accused, his sickness making his voice hoarse.

"He's a child," She returned.

"He's a certified State Alchemist," Not able to argue, the woman sighed. "Child or not, he needs to follow orders. If he would have just done the job right the first time, Central wouldn't be in this condition." A sneeze followed Roy's words and his companion placed the clipboard back on his desk. Apparently, McDougal's antics had left Central a mess, and it would cost a pretty penny and a lot of time to renovate what he had destroyed.

"You can't fault him," She said gently, "Eventually he'll come to understand his actions have consequences."

"You weren't so easy on him when you found out he passed the State Alchemy Exam." Roy quipped with a smug smile. The man got a dead look in return, though he was unphased.

"I was just caught off guard," She explained with some snark.

"'They'd sooner let a child into the military than an Ishvalan!'" Roy mocked, changing his voice only slightly to poorly mimic her own and paying for it with a coughing fit afterward. So she was a bit upset when she had found out a twelve-year-old boy had passed the State Alchemy Exam with no questions asked; meanwhile, she had to get a referral from Roy Mustang himself to even attend the damned thing. It had been three years ago, and since then, she had obviously let it go, but Roy was adamant about not letting her forget her tantrum she threw in his office that day.

"I hope that cold kills you," The alchemist muttered dully, moving to get up and leave.

"Come now, Linor," Roy called, "It was only a joke," He said, copying her own words, though she kept walking. "I also have a favor to ask you," When his voice returned to its normally serious tone, the woman stopped her retreat and looked over her shoulder. Seeing his steady gaze, the woman sighed lightly and returned to the couch.

Having known Roy for many years, the two were fairly close; Linor- while she didn't work under Mustang officially- tended to help him with most of his work as his other subordinates did whenever she had the chance. The woman owed a lot to the man in front of her and often went out of her way to do any favors he asked.

"I need you to keep an eye on Fullmetal," Roy said, Linor giving him a questioning look in return. "He's a loose cannon and I can't keep him under surveillance 24/7, the boy's going to get himself into trouble." The way Roy worded it made him sound exasperated, but Linor's lip tugged into a sly smile at the concerned undertone.

"You talk a lot of shit, Colonel, but you're worried about those boys." Linor divulged.

"I'm worried about what they're going to do to jeopardize my position," The man retorted, technically not lying, but also not denying Linor's claim.

"You sure do have a knack at picking up stray alchemists, don't you?" Linor quipped, Roy giving her a small chortle.

"I suppose I do," He admitted, his eyes glazing over for just a moment as if remembering the first time the two had met. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Linor smiled fondly.

"About seven years," Roy had met Linor in Aquroya; back then, the girl was in her late teens while Roy was in his early twenties. She had left her people after escaping the war in Ishval and was practicing alchemy under an elderly man that took her in. She wasn't anything particularly special when they had met, but apparently, Roy saw something in her that made him convince her to train for the military.

Two years was what it took for Linor to be good enough to take the exam, and if it wasn't for Roy's recommendation, they would have turned her away at the door. Perhaps it was her drive to make a change for her people that Roy saw as worthy? He had only told her once that 'he just had a feeling' she would make a good soldier.

"What were you doing in Aquroya anyway?" Linor asked curiously.

"Maybe I was looking for stray alchemists?" He joked, getting an eye roll from Linor in return. "Well, I'll let you be on with your day, Major Ziegler." Roy said, suddenly switching to formalities and letting Linor know their personal conversation was over. "I'm sure you have a lot of work to do in your own division."

"Don't I always? Yet I somehow always seem to end up helping you with yours." Linor mumbled as she stood to leave.

"You're a bit of a workaholic," Roy pointed out, "Perhaps you should take a break once in a while." Though said in a serious tone, when Linor looked over to him, a cheeky smile adorned his face.

"Yes, wouldn't that be nice, Colonel." Linor drawled, both of them knowing even if she took a break from her main work, Roy would always have something for her to do. "But unfortunately, we have a deal and if I don't uphold my end, you won't uphold yours." The deal in question being that Linor did whatever she could to help Roy in his ambitions and in return, any information Roy got was her's to know. Knowledge is power, and Linor's own ambitions required it.

"You think I would be so cold as to not help a friend?" Roy asked, faux hurt lacing his voice.

"I think you would be so ambitious as to expect something in return." Linor corrected, "Have a good night, Colonel." She finished, Roy's office door shutting after her with a click.


	2. Ch 2: Her Reason

_**September 2nd, 1914**_

Linor tapped the tip of her pen on the corner of her report paper, the metal cap sitting gently between her teeth and the voices of several of Mustang's subordinates ringing in her ears. Apparently, the man had pawned off the majority of his paperwork to his underlings, and they had to split the work amongst them. Linor on the other hand- while she wasn't burdened with Roy's work- had work of her own to do. However, choosing to spend her time with Mustang's crew made it a bit more tolerable.

"Hey, Linor," Breda called, getting the woman to stop her tapping and look up, her shades blocking any eye-contact between the two. "I'll take you out to lunch if you take a stack." Twirling the pen cap between her teeth, Linor looked back down at her work.

"Normally I would, but I've got my own work to do today." Her scratchy voice replied between the pen cap, eyes scanning the reports over multiple times. "I think I left the referral reports for this in my office…" She mumbled mostly to herself, flipping through the pages she had on hand.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just finish in your office instead of bringing your whole office here?" Riza remarked, her attention never leaving her own stack of work. Linor removed the cap from her mouth and eyed the large pile of papers on the couch next to her. Straightening her back against the furniture and flinging one leg over her other, Linor pursed her lips.

"Maybe I enjoy your company." She bit back, Havoc rolling the unlit cigarette between his lips.

"Or you're hiding from your commanding officer." He drawled, his eyes scanning the remainder of the report he was reading. Linor rested her arms along the back of the couch, her fingers still clutching the heap in her hands.

"Okay, that might be one reason," She admitted in a mumble. Linor held no ill will towards her commanding officer, but Lieutenant Colonel Archer was someone she tended to avoid if she had the option. Despite the fact he was often inclined to bombard her with work she didn't particularly care for, the man held an obvious interest in her- in more than a superior/subordinate kind of way. While he was attractive in a certain light, the cold man wasn't particularly her type- and sometimes he gave her the chills. "But it's still more tolerable doing my work with you guys than alone in my office."

The calm mood was immediately ruined when Roy casually strode from his main office and wordlessly plopped another stack of papers onto the table next to his subordinates. A few groans filled the room, but Roy ignored them and instead focused his attention on Linor.

"Major," He greeted, Linor returning his greeting. "I have a request for you,"

"A favor?" Linor tried to correct, but Roy shook his head.

"No, a request," Earning a raised brow, Roy continued. "The Elric brothers are due for their briefing and I don't want them skipping out like last time." Seeing him recall the last time the brothers ignored his summons and hopped a train to Youswell, the man sneered. "I need you to escort them back here and make sure they don't vanish to God-knows-where." Linor rolled her eyes at Roy's formalities and set down the stack of papers she held.

"You could just call it a favor, Colonel." The woman drawled dully, brushing past the man. "I'll make sure they get here," Linor called back over her shoulder.

#

The train had already arrived when Linor reached the station and the next train to Dublith was well underway of departing. Hoping she wasn't too late to catch the troublesome boys, she frantically searched the crowd and was pleased when she immediately saw Alphonse. Waving the armored boy down, the brothers made their way to her. Though Edward was too short and hid out of sight behind the crowd, she knew the two were together.

"Hello, boys," Linor greeted kindly with a smile when they approached, "Welcome back,"

"What are you doing here, Major?" Ed asked curiously, Alphonse quietly scolding him for his impoliteness. Linor brushed off the child's lack of manners- after three years of working with him, she had gotten used to it.

"The Colonel sent me to make sure you two weren't going to skip out on your briefing." At the mention of the Colonel, Linor heard Ed mumble something probably less-than-pleasant under his breath. "If anything, you get a free ride back to Command." Linor coaxed, the two brothers looking at each other.

Thankfully, neither of the boys had any plans to head off, and so the alchemist was able to get them into the car relatively easy- as easy as Alphonse could have with his large suit of armor, at least. Despite Linor's initial resentment of Edward for his easy acceptance into the military, the older woman had grown quite fond of the two boys. The Elrics were kind, funny, and intelligent children, and while Linor still harbored an inkling of jealousy towards Edward, she thought highly of them both. The feeling seemed to be reciprocated to an extent as well.

Upon arriving back at command, the door to Roy's waiting room was open and the trio heard the Colonel's subordinates mumbling amongst themselves.

"The receiver on this thing has seen better days," They heard Kain Fuery admit, tinkering with an old radio and not having any luck getting it to work properly. "I think I'm going to have to replace it." As the trio entered the room, Edward clapped his gloved hands together and tapped the radio to life.

"Hey, it's Edward and Alphonse!" Kain exclaimed excitedly.

"Nice to see you boys back," Riza said pleasantly. "The Colonel's in his office, go on in, he's expecting you." With a noticeable grimace on Edward's face, the boy reluctantly headed for the door with his brother.

"Thank you for the ride, Major Zeigler," Alphonse said politely with a bow.

"Not a problem," Linor replied, watching the boys disappear into Mustang's office. When the two children were out of the room, Havoc stood from his chair and stretched dramatically as if he had been sitting for days.

"I'mma go take a smoke break," The Second Lieutenant said, ruffling his blonde hair. "Care to join?" He asked Linor, one of the youngest soldiers and frequent smoke partner.

"Absolutely," The woman drawled.

"That stuff is going to kill you," Falman reprimanded, a disapproving look on his face. Havoc just twirled his unlit cigarette between his lips.

"A smoke a day keeps the stress away," The country-boy replied casually.

"Not the cancer," Breda countered, earning a shrug from the man. Tapping Linor on the shoulder, the two headed out.

"How's your research going on that Alkahestry stuff?" Havoc asked Linor as he strode along next to her.

"It's almost impossible to find anything good on it," Linor admitted, the two soldiers lazily greeting any personnel that passed them. "Only that it originated in Xing." Havoc blinked in surprise.

"Xing, huh? Wonder how McDougal learned that."

"Yeah, I spent all last week trying to find anything on how it works, but nothing. I'm wondering if Central Library has anything on it." Waving to the front desk official as they stepped out, Havoc handed Linor a cigarette.

"You looking to make a trip to Central soon then?" Havoc asked as he lit his tobacco stick just outside the Command's doors.

"Yeah, like the Lieutenant Colonel would let me leave," Linor scoffed, holding her own cigarette out for Havoc to do the same.

"Why are you so interested in it anyway?" The man asked, smoke billowing past his lips. Taking a large hit, Linor slowly blew out the cancerous smoke.

"I'm not like Roy," She began, "I don't have the charisma or power to be noticed. I'm more… behind the scenes." Linor explained, Havoc remaining silent for her to continue. "Knowledge is power, Jean, and have my own goals to see to." Havoc smirked at her ominous words.

"Be careful what you say, sounds like your trying to overthrow the Furher or something." Linor laughed lightly at his joke referring to Roy.

"Nothing so bold," She objected, "Just trying to help my people." A small silence passed between the two.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Havoc finally asked. Linor thought on it for a moment, staring off into the distance.

"Well, we'll see when I get there." She mumbled, leaning her head back against the wall.


	3. Ch 3: Her Commanding Officer

September 3rd, 1914

Looking over reports yet again, Linor rubbed her chin with her thumb in thought. This time, the woman sat in her office; Mustang was out with his Lieutenant to check up on the Elric boys at Shou Tucker's and the rest of his crew was out to lunch. When Roy said she was a workaholic, it was more than a joke.

Her current reports were on a mass murderer of State Alchemists, codenamed Scar. Linor and Archer were tasked with collaborating with Lieutenant Colonel Hughes in Central on the case. They communicated regularly on his whereabouts, his killings, and any other information they could find on the mysterious man. However, recently, neither of them had heard from Hughes at all. Both assumed that meant Scar was on the down-low and they hadn't had any recent incidents, which was both good and concerning.

Linor shifted through the papers on Scar, trying to find out any information that they might have missed- about his alchemy, his motives, who he was- hardly anything was known about him. Pushing up her shades, Linor rubbed her tired eyes and a defeated sigh passed her lips. A knock on her office door filled the quiet room and she quickly replaced her glasses. Giving the visitor permission to enter, her commanding officer slowly swung open the door. Swiftly standing and knocking some of the papers onto the ground in front of her desk, Linor went into a salute.

"Lieutenant Colonel Archer, sir!" She greeted formally.

"At ease, Major," His chilling voice insisted, "I'm just here to see if there are any updates to the Scar case." Archer strode over to his underling's desk and picked up the documents that fell, setting them back on the skewed pile in front of her. Linor hesitantly relaxed and thanked him before looking down at the reports.

"None, sir." She admitted with disappointment. "I've been looking at his files all morning. No new news from Central either."

"Unfortunate," Archer murmured, his sharp eyes looking down at the reports and cold fingers gently brushing through them. "I suppose we need to wait until Central comes up with some news then." Though said in his normally dull-sounding tone, Linor knew he was irritated. The man in front of her craved recognition and fame- something she learned for the many years working under him. When Hughes came to General Hakuro asking for eyes in the East, Archer was the first to take on the job. Thankfully, Archer's interest in Linor made her his lapdog and he gave her permission to work with him on the case as well- Archer would get most of the credit when the case eventually came to a close, but Linor would get her mention and that's all she wanted.

"I'll report to you when I get any news, sir," Linor assured. A smile tugged at the edges of Archer's lips and he leaned his hands on the desk.

"You're an invaluable subordinate, Major," Archer said, his piercing gaze seeming to look past Linor's glasses. "I'm not sure what I would do without you." Heat rose to Linor's face from the compliment, both from embarrassment and nervousness. Involuntarily, her body leaned back slightly to gain distance from her commanding officer.

"T-thank you, sir." She stuttered, "I'll do my best not to disappoint you." His smile widened at her response and he straightened back up, Linor's body relaxing again once he was at a more comfortable distance.

"I'm sure you will," He replied, moving to leave. Gripping the door handle, he stopped and looked back at Linor once more. "You should join me for dinner one of these days." Taken back by the offer, Linor stuttered for a moment.

"I'm not sure that would be appropriate, sir." She finally was able to get out, getting a deep chuckle in return.

"Nothing scandalous about a casual dinner, Major," Archer replied before shutting the door behind him. Plopping down in her chair, Linor released a breath she never knew she was holding. The ticking of the clock barely registered in her ears against the vicious pounding of her heart. Looking up at the time, Linor tapped her fingers on the desk for a moment before gathering up all the forms into a neat pile and leaving her office for some well-deserved lunch.

#

Linor was almost positive Mustang's crew wasn't going to be in the Command's cafeteria; when Roy was away, the group often went out for lunch. Linor was not much for social outings and so she always declined when they asked her; they had stopped asking a while back, not that she minded, her answer would always remain the same. Needless to say, the woman was a bit shocked to see Vato Falman sitting by himself in the group's typical spot in the cafeteria.

"Falman, what are you doing here?" Linor asked as she approached him. The man sheepishly scratched his greying tuffs and looked down.

"Heymans took my last twenty bucks." Linor rolled her eyes at this- the boys had a pretty bad problem when it came to bets, often conning each other out of their money.

"Have you not learned yet?" Linor scolded, this situation happening several times before, and not just with Falman. "C' mon," She scoffed, offering to buy the man lunch.

"No, that's alright, I'm not that hungry." Falman protested with a vicious wave of his hands.

"Okay, well I'm gonna buy an extra sandwich anyway and if no one eats it, it's going in the trash." Before Falman could speak up, Linor left, returning later with two sandwiches and a bag of chips. Sitting in the seat across from Falman, Linor placed the extra sandwich on the table in between them. The man didn't move as Linor stared at him expectantly. At his stubbornness, Linor released an exasperated sigh and began tearing into her own plastic-wrapped sandwich. "You think I'm kidding," The woman mumbled between bites, her semi-threat finally getting him to take the food and sheepishly begin munching on it.

She wasn't actually irritated with the man- she knew Falman didn't like asking people for favors, especially her. Falman was just too much of an old-fashioned gentleman for his own good- perhaps it was because he was older than most of his colleagues. With how immature he acted around his friends though, it was easy to forget. When both the soldiers were less than halfway done with their food, Linor gently tossed the bag of chips towards him.

"I'm getting full," Linor said casually when her friend gave her a questioning look. At her reply, a smile graced Falman's lips, knowing she never planned to eat the chips in the first place. With a small thanks, he popped open the bag. "Yeah, maybe next time you'll learn your lesson about gambling." As if being scolded by his mother, Falman sank back a bit. "How many foodless lunches are you guys gonna have to go through?" She didn't get a reply, but she also wasn't expecting one. After a short pause, Linor changed the subject. "So what are the Elric brothers seeing Shou Tucker for?"

"The Colonel said they're interested in chimeras," Falman replied.

"Well, he's definitely the one they want to see then," Linor mumbled with a bit of spite in her voice. It took a second for Falman to respond, instantly regretting his words.

"They're boys, they're curious," Falman explained, hearing her distaste and remembering her thoughts on Tucker's line of work.

"He's disgusting," Linor spat quietly, referring to the Sewing Life Alchemist and chewing her food a bit more harshly than before. "I don't condone playing with animal's lives for alchemy." Falman remained silent after this. Perhaps that was one thing Linor felt Amestrians lacked- care for any lives aside from their own; when Tucker joined the military, she was the only one who seemed to have a problem with it.

In fact, as kind as Roy and his subordinates seemed to be, she was disgusted and surprised with them when they seemed to not only brush off the use of bio-alchemy but condone the research of it for future advancement; it lead to a heated argument between Linor and her fellow comrades.

"I'm all for learning, but I hope they're smart enough to not attempt it. I expect better from those boys." Linor admitted, finishing her sandwich and crumpling up the plastic wrap in her fist. Folding her arms on the table, Linor glanced up at Falman from over her glasses to see his uncomfortable posture. "I don't like the man, but I'm not going to go murder him," Linor said, lightly tossing the balled up plastic at his chest. "Loosen up, Falman." She joked.

"You're scary when you're mad," He semi-joked back.

"Have I done anything to warrant your fear?" She asked sassily, getting a silent response and stare. "I went off on Havoc once and he deserved it." Linor defended, knowing he thought of the one time she flipped out in the five years she'd known them. "Are you gonna do anything to deserve it?" Linor asked playfully.

"I hope not," Linor couldn't help but laugh.

"I think you'll be fine," She assured, standing up and holding out her hand for Falman to give her the trash she threw. Keeping the wad and insisting he'll throw it away for her, she thanked him.

"You know, maybe we could go out for lunch next week and I'll pay," Falman suggested, heat spreading noticeably to his cheeks.

"You don't have to pay me back, Falman," Linor laughed, leaning over the table. The man stuttered for a moment, words obviously floating in his brain, but none forming complete sentences. When Linor leaned in closer with a sassy smile, the man stopped in his tracks. "You know, you could actually pay me back by not making stupid bets, then I won't have to buy you lunch." Speechless from her response, Linor chuckled. "I've got to get back to work, see you later." She said with a wave, leaving behind a very disappointed Falman.


	4. Ch 4: Her Ethics

_**September 4th, 1914**_

Linor was disgusted. She always knew she had a bad feeling about that man, but this news had hit the last nail on his coffin. It was late in the evening, almost five, and the horrific events had happened earlier that morning.

The woman stood in Roy's office, the news of Shou Tucker transmuting his daughter hitting her every last emotional chord. According to Roy, Edward had found out that Tucker's previous talking chimera miracle was also the work of human/animal transmutation. Linor grieved for the poor child, was repulsed by Tucker's lowliness, and was overall furious that the military had allowed such a man to continue his research.

"Look where your precious 'alchemy for the future' had gone." Linor mocked, irritated that despite her voice on the topic, her breath was wasted and it had come to the worst. She wanted to say 'I told you so', but refrained, and tried to keep her cool. Once again ignoring Linor's thoughts on the topic, Roy continued with his report.

"Tucker is sentenced to face the firing squad." At least there was some retribution, though it hardly made Linor feel better. "They will be held under the military's watch until the time comes."

"And what of the girl?" Linor asked quietly, afraid to hear his answer.

"What of her?" Roy asked back, obviously trying to avoid answering her.

"What's going to happen to her?" She replied, a sneer crossing her face at the man's avoidance.

"We'll have to see what the Furher decides." She knew what that meant, and she looked down with a grimace.

"She's going to become a lab experiment, isn't she?" A silence passed between them, both alchemists knowing the answer. "Isn't there something you can do?" Linor pleaded, barely able to fathom how something so horrible could have happened to a five-year-old child.

"Like what?" Roy asked, Linor taken back by his emotionless response.

"Like anything!" She barked, baffled by the lack of empathy in his voice.

"No," He replied simply, Linor finally losing her cool.

"'No' there's nothing you can do, or 'no' there's nothing you will do?" Linor spat, "Are you content with doing nothing? Did the war not teach you anything, Mustang? Are you just going to sit around and go along with this?" Linor finally said, crossing that line. Her friend's eyes narrowed dangerously and his lips pursed into a scowl.

"The war has taught me many things and it's why I have my ambitions. But there is something you need to learn, Major." He growled, the title hitting Linor in the face like a tank. "You can't save everyone. Not everything in this world is fair or just and sometimes you need to buckle up and look the other way. Otherwise, you'll spend your life wallowing in self-pity for all the lives you couldn't save." Linor's lips parted, Roy's words leaving her speechless. A tense silence filled the room, neither alchemist looking away from the other.

Linor's brain tried to grasp at anything to say back, but it was as if every word she knew disappeared from her brain. It was Mustang who finally broke the stillness and sat down slowly back into his chair.

"That is all, Major. You're dismissed." Roy said lowly, closing his eyes and averting his gaze from her.

"Thank you, Colonel," Linor whispered so quietly, she wasn't sure if he even heard it.

#

Linor was finishing up her work for the day- filing documents, signing reports, and clearing her desk space before she clocked out. She was just going through the motions however, still upset with her fight with Roy only an hour earlier. She never liked fighting with the man, but sometimes his decisions and cold facade really fueled her fire. Always in the end though, Roy doused her flame and knocked some sense into her- even if she still didn't agree with some of his choices or thoughts.

Thinking back on it, she really shouldn't have mentioned the war. She always knew the topic was a sensitive subject for him, but in her heated moment, she made a mistake. Though she knew he wouldn't hold it against her, she felt guilty- along with several other emotions gnawing at her gut and making her a bit sick.

What Roy said was right, of course- he usually always was, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. It was human to want to help, to want the best for others, wasn't it? She knew Roy was a kind man, but sometimes he hid it far too well that Linor questioned his humanity.

Linor was so drowned in her thoughts, she didn't even notice when Archer stood at her open door until his flat voice spoke up.

"Is something on your mind, Major?" He asked, his tone making it sound like he didn't actually care- and perhaps he didn't. Standing in a less hasty fashion than normal, Linor saluted her commanding officer. Immediately the man waved her salute off, urging her to relax.

"Nothing important, sir," Linor said dully, glad she wore sunglasses to hide her obviously lying eyes. "Just a fight with a friend." Eventually, Linor looked down at her desk- she swore sometimes Archer could see right through her.

Silently, Archer sat in the spare chair along the wall. She didn't have an office like Roy or Archer, her small room lacking the comfortability that theirs held. Most Majors didn't actually get an office of their own, but most Majors also tended to be the military's walking weapons- The woman's alchemy was impressive, sure, and would definitely be useful in times of crisis, but her alchemy lacked the practicality of most State Alchemists. So, while Linor was there in times of need, she mostly remained in the Command doing important paperwork, research, and whatever else Archer trusted her with.

"It seems to be bothering you, would you like to talk about it?" Linor was taken back by Archer's show of concern. She waited for him to say he was joking- which would also take her by surprise, the man never joked- but when he laced his fingers together and rested his elbows on his knees ready to listen, she stuttered for a moment.

"I- with all due respect, sir, it's cruel to lead someone to believe you care." Hearing what she had said, Linor dipped into a deep bow. "I'm sorry, sir! That came out wrong! I just meant that..." No, that was exactly what she meant. She had worked under Frank Archer since she joined the military and he was never known to be particularly kind or caring- respectful in a way, yes. Pragmatic and mature, of course. However, she never saw him as a man who would take his subordinate's- or anyone's- feelings into consideration.

"I don't fault you, I'm not particularly interested in my subordinates' personal lives," Archer said bluntly, "But sometimes I can be sympathetic, more so when it's a subordinate that I have high regard for." His compliments always seemed to make her uncomfortable- whether because she wasn't used to receiving compliments in general or because they came from Archer, she wasn't sure.

"I appreciate the concern, sir," Linor said semi-genuinely, "But I would prefer not to talk about it." While spilling her emotions to Archer wasn't on the top of her to-do list, the main reason why she kept her mouth shut was that she knew he wasn't the biggest fan of the Hero of Ishval- Roy Mustang. Archer had more than heavily hinted that he didn't like her doing Roy's bidding, but he never actively tried to stop her, so she never really cared. That being said, Linor always tried her best to keep in good graces with Archer; he never brought up her side jobs with Roy as long as she kept her business with the Colonel out of his ears.

"Very well," Archer said, standing up smoothly, "I do have an assignment for you before you leave for the night though," Quickly, Linor's eyes flicked to the clock, feeling some disappointment that he would assign her work so late. "There have been some riots in Liore," Linor was surprised to hear that after Ed's supposed successful takedown of Cornello, the small town was still having problems- riots nonetheless. "I need you to dispatch some troops to quell the disturbance."

"Military troops? Is that going a little overboard?" Archer's eyes shifted to her and she immediately regretted questioning him. Though he remained as calm as he looked before.

"The severity of the situation is larger than you'd expect," Linor could only imagine what he meant by that and she dipped into a bow.

"Right away, sir," The woman replied obediently.

"I hope you have a good weekend, Major."


	5. Ch 5: Her Red-Eyed Brother

_**September 6th, 1914**_

Linor was rarely ever seen outside of the Command Center, and the only time she was guaranteed not to be there, was on the weekends. Yet even when she sat in her small apartment on her less-than-fancy couch, she was doing paperwork. Breda and Havoc had tried breaking her from her workaholic nature on more than one occasion but had no optimal amount of success over the years. Linor declined every party, outing, and hangout invite she'd gotten- in earlier days it made the group question if she even liked them. They knew now that she just preferred not to go out.

Her uncovered, crimson eyes moved from the papers to her window, the stormy sky casting a bit of a melancholy mood. She had to admit, sometimes her lack of social life got lonely, but it was better than going out. At least in the comfort of her home, she didn't have to worry about hiding her identity. While she never openly admitted it and just let people think she was an introvert, she just wanted to relax without worrying about her skin or hiding her eyes, even if only for a while.

Suddenly feeling a bit lonesome, Linor searched for her television remote and turned on the TV for some background noise while she continued her work. It wasn't long before the ringing of her home phone could be heard over whatever random show she had on. Turning the volume down several notches, Linor set her stack of papers on the wood table next to her couch before rising to answer the call.

"Hello?" Her voice asked curiously, expecting a sales pitch or something of the like.

"_Major, I need you to come to Command as soon as you can," _Roy's voice commanded from the other side, making Linor blink appalled.

"Uhm, s-sure, is something the matter, Colonel?" Linor was able to stutter out, Roy's voice being the last one she was expecting to hear, let alone with such urgency in his tone.

"_I'll explain when you get here, make no detours." _Before Linor could even respond, she heard a click and the ringing of the dial tone. Hanging the phone back on the wall, Linor furrowed her brows together. Looking over to the clock to see it was just about to turn 6pm, Linor narrowed her eyes at her unstraightened, curly hair she saw in the glass clock's reflection. Knowing there was no time to straighten it as she normally did, she quickly pulled it up into a tight bun and swiftly stalked to her room to change into her uniform.

#

The rain pelted her car- or rather, the Military's car that was assigned to her. Most of East City was inside, cooped up and taking cover from the weather, so the roads were pretty empty. Linor drove slower than she would have liked for how serious Roy sounded, but she'd rather not get in a crash since the cobble streets were nearly flooded. She had tried to keep her anxiety in check from Roy's call and tried to reason that while it was no doubt important, Roy would have told her if the situation was dire. The uneasiness in her stomach refused to go away though.

Rubbing her eyes and bumping her glasses in the process, Linor readjusted them. Just as her hand came away from her face, a child dashed out in front of her car and she gasped loudly, slamming so hard on her breaks she swore she almost broke the pedal. Her glasses flew off her face and hit the dashboard hard as her chest slammed on the top of the steering wheel and would no doubt leave a bruise. Jerking her head up, a familiar red coat and suit of armor caught her eyes as they disappeared down a narrow ally way.

"Elrics?" Linor gasped, the two boys not even looking back. Just after them, a man sprinted past, his gaze hidden by sunglasses shifted to her through her windshield, though he didn't stop. Her heart dropped as he disappeared in the ally with them, her eyes just being able to catch the large 'X'-shaped scar across his face. Linor's blood chilled, but she willed herself to recover and rammed her foot on the gas, recklessly steering down the street to try and catch up with both the boys and the stranger.

Skidding the corner, Linor's heart hammered in her chest. She wasn't sure if it was him, though he matched every description to a T. What was he doing in East City? Why hadn't Central informed them that he was missing? If it was truly Scar, Edward was in serious danger.

Able to reach the street to the end of the ally they entered, Linor saw the young Alchemist laying on the wet ground, his mechanical arm strewn to pieces on the cobblestone. The man was hovering over him, his arm reaching out to grab the boy. Linor slammed on her brakes and stumbled out of her car, tripping over herself and barely able to catch her balance as her fingers fumbled with her pistol.

"Freeze!" The Major screeched, her voice breaking as she pointed the gun at the man.

"Major Ziegler!" Alphonse cried, relief very present in his voice. Linor's eyes darted over to the metal suit in the alleyway, half of the alloy armor completely gone and empty inside. Shock overtook Linor's face at what she had thought was supposed to be a suit occupied by Edward's brother.

"Alphonse…" Linor whispered,

"Linor Ziegler," The mysterious man bellowed, earning back Linor's full attention as he stepped off from over Edward. "The Roaring Sound Alchemist, one of East City's lapdogs." A cheeky smile forced its way onto the woman's face.

"So you've done your homework, Scar." Linor quipped back bravely, stressing his name though her blood pulsed rapidly through her veins. Seeing him taking steps toward her, she held her gun up steadier and tried to refrain from stepping back. "Don't take another step!" She commanded, seeing him quirk the corner of his lip.

"You have bold words for someone so terrified." Linor swallowed back the lump in her throat- of course, she was scared. This man had murdered over ten certified State Alchemists alone- anyone in their right mind would have been cautious.

"You're the one with a gun in your face," She replied as steadily as she could. "Now put your hands over your head, you're under arrest." Scar's covered gaze remained on her and he showed no signs of doing as she said. "Did you hear me?" She screamed, "I said put your-" Scar's muscles twitched as he bolted towards her. Linor instinctively pulled the trigger of her pistol, but it grazed right past Scar's shoulder as he continued his advance.

When he reached her, he knocked her arms away roughly, making her drop her pistol to the wet ground with a clatter. Linor gasped as his hand reached up for her face, but she stumbled back just out of reach. With a duck under his arm, Linor narrowly avoided his second attempt at a grab. He was fast- incredibly so- and she was certain she couldn't keep avoiding him forever.

Realizing this was now a fight for her life, Linor clasped her hands together and before Scar knew it, he was sent skidding back a few small feet. Able to catch her breath as Scar stopped to look up at her, Linor tried to calm herself.

"I see you have a conductor," Scar muttered, Linor knowing his gaze lingered on the bracelet that just sparked with a familiar blue light. Linor's lips quirked into an uncomfortable smirk.

"So you noticed," She murmured back, barely getting time to finish before he came back at her with an intent to sock her in the face. Linor swung her arm up to block the blow, the impact on her forearm enough to make her wince as he came in with another swing- the woman moved back out of the way this time to save herself some pain. Scar gave her no time to rest as he continued to come in, swing after swing, each punch getting closer to landing than the next. Before she knew it, Scar's foot suddenly came up to connect with her abdomen.

Linor could feel the wind being knocked out of her as her back collided with the stone building behind her. Within seconds, Scar's large hand wrapped tightly around her throat, pinning her to the wall. With her stomach throbbing painfully, the wind choked from her lungs, and Scar's fingers seeming to crush her throat, Linor squeezed her eyes shut.

"Let her go!" She barely heard Alphonse scream from across the way. She heard Edward's voice too, shouting panicked profanities at the criminal, begging him to release her. Though Scar simply ignored them.

"Alchemists profane God, the true creator of all things," Scar muttered, the grip on her throat ever so slowly tightening. "And you State Alchemists are the worst, using that heresy to oppress and conquer." Linor's thin fingers grasped at his hand, desperately trying to pry him off when her air supply was cut short, the only thing able to leave her throat were small gasps. "As an agent of God, I am here to hand down his judgment." Scar's right hand reached up to her face and Linor's eyes opened to lock onto him in fear. As if her skin suddenly burned him, Scar let her go and recoiled. The woman dropped to the ground in a fit of coughs and gasps, the man's gaze locked down on her. "You're…" A loud bang pierced through the rain as his glasses clattered to the ground at Linor's feet. Just behind Scar, Roy stood, backed by his subordinates. Riza had her place next to him, her rifle smoking and pointed directly at Scar.

"Consider that a warning shot," Riza informed, not dropping her aim for an instant. Realizing the Lieutenant Colonel had shot him, Linor looked up to Scar and sucked in a breath. A line of blood dribbled down his face- down his temple and past his crimson red eyes.

"An Ishvalan…" Linor whispered. Scar remained silent and made no move to attack Linor or the large group of Military Soldiers. The screeching of car wheels could be heard down the road and Scar's exposed gaze shifted from the Eastern Command Soldiers, to the approaching cars, and briefly to Linor before he slowly took a small step back from the group.

"Wait, hold it!" Roy barked, as the criminal suddenly turned and bolted down the street. Before he got too far, the man slammed his hand to the pavement. A large explosion shook the area as dust and debris filled the air. When the blast cleared, the cobblestone road was ripped up and Scar was nowhere to be seen. "Damn it, he got away," Roy cursed, his sharp eyes narrowing at the crater. When the soldiers hustled to chase after him, Roy held up his hand. "Let him go," The Colonel informed his men, "He's disappeared into the sewers, it's best not to pursue."

Linor could not keep her eyes off of the sunglasses in front of her. She barely even looked up when Falman and Havoc rushed over to her, asking if she was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She muttered, picking up the sunglasses and looking up to the men. Behind them, she could see Riza, Breda, and Fuery checking up on Edward, and Roy making his way over to her. Struggling to stand from her severely pained abdomen, Linor pushed her body back against the wall to let it support her and held up her free hand to decline the help from the boys who offered their aid. "Colonel," She stammered, handing him Scar's glasses as he approached. "... He's Ishvalan." Sounds of shock came from the men.

"You're sure, Major?" Roy asked seriously, Linor giving a nod in return. "That would make sense then…" He muttered under his breath. Coming up behind Roy, a large, muscular man that Linor had never seen before saluted him.

"The Elric boys are safely being taken to the infirmary, sir." His deep voice informed. When Linor looked up to him, the stranger's bright blue eyes widened in response to her own. Noticing his reaction, Roy exhaled and tucked Scar's shades into his pocket.

"It seems we have a lot to discuss," Roy sighed, retreating back to the car. Falman gently swung Linor's arm over his shoulder as he helped her back to the vehicle, the group of military personnel packing up and not quite ready for the large amount of damage control on their hands.


	6. Ch 6: Herself

_**September 6th, 1914**_

Despite feeling like her ribs were broken, the doctor assured her it was just bruising- however, he did mention they felt quite similar. Though through the pain, she was definitely counting her blessings; some bruised ribs was undoubtedly better than an imploded skull. Thankfully, Edward was relatively uninjured from his encounter with Scar as well- though his automail was beyond redeemable. Alphonse was not about to see any sort of doctor in his condition, though his brother assured them that he would be just fine; needless to say, the conversation afterward was quite uncomfortable for them.

The group that gathered in Mustang's office had a lot to talk about- despite having all of Roy's loud-mouthed subordinates and even the new arrivals from Central, the room was uncomfortably quiet. Roy sat at his desk being the most knowledgeable man in the room as his Lieutenant stood by his side, seeming to know just about as much as him; Linor was going to ignore the fact that even with their deal, he neglected to tell her about the boys' situation- though truthfully, it was none of her business.

Out of respect for the uneasy children, the conversation of their predicament quickly shifted to Scar and a brief history of the Civil War, since Ed and Al seemed to be completely in the dark about the conflict. At the end of Roy's explanation, Ed looked over to Linor whose red eyes were uncovered and on display for everyone in the room.

"And you never thought to tell me?" He asked, the elder Elric very similar to Linor in his obsessive pursuit for knowledge.

"We all have our secrets, Ed," Linor replied, her eyes shifting to the broken Alphonse in a box by the door. Unable or unwilling to respond, Ed scoffed and stormed past the group.

"We need to make a trip to Resembool as soon as we can," Ed informed, ignoring Linor's excuse and his gaze now refusing to look at her.

"Of course," Roy agreed, "Breda, Havoc, could you please help Alphonse out? I would prefer to keep Major Armstrong here." The two soldiers agreed with their usual formalities and hauled the box of soul-bound metal out of the room. When the door shut behind the group, Linor sighed at Edward's hot-temper.

The room remained silent for a moment before Linor looked up to Hughes, who sat on the couch across from her. Despite having been working with the man for the past month, it was the first time the two had actually met in person. Apparently, he didn't leave Central often, but he followed Scar when he caught wind of the man leaving the City. Linor wasn't sure why he didn't contact her or Lieutenant Colonel Archer, but Hughes was a smart man, and so she figured he must have had a reason.

The man standing to his side was introduced to Linor as Major Alex Louis Armstrong; he seemed to be an acquaintance of Hughes, Roy, and Riza. Once he found out Linor was Ishvalan, he tried to hide the guilty looks when he looked her way, but the woman noticed them. She wondered if he participated in the Civil War as well.

"So, what would you like to know?" Linor suddenly asked the two after the silence dragged on for a bit too long.

"Well, there's a lot," Hughes started, leaning his elbows on his knees and resting his chin over his folded fingers. "But I guess we could start with, 'What did you learn about Scar?'" Linor exhaled in disappointment.

"I wish I had more, but the only new thing I learned was that he's Ishvalan." She admitted, rubbing her eyes with her fingers roughly. Then remembering something Edward was talking to her about in the infirmary, Linor tapped her finger thoughtfully over her chin. "But you know, the boys did mention something about how he's using alchemy, though it was off somehow- something about how he doesn't use the full transmutation process." At this, Hughes quirked a confused brow.

"Alchemy is a process," Armstrong began, "It has stages, you don't just make something appear out of thin air, or create something from nothing." The man explained, "You need the full process of construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction for the use of alchemy. In order to create, you must also destroy." Linor nodded at Armstrong's words.

"That's right, but according to Edward, Scar stops at the deconstruction phase." Roy rubbed his chin thoughtfully, seeming a bit unnerved by this information.

"That would explain the state of his victims." The Colonel added, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes, but if he truly does use alchemy, isn't he just contradicting himself?" Falman added.

"Maybe it's not alchemy at all, but something similar?" Linor suggested.

"I trust that Edward knows what he's talking about," Roy intervened, "He may be reckless and a child, but he knows his way around alchemy." Unable to disagree, a few of those in the room nodded. "Still," he muttered, "I suppose we shouldn't completely dismiss the fact it might be something else."

"It isn't much to go off of, but it's something," Hughes mumbled, "Any information at this point is valuable. Scar's getting bolder, more dangerous." At his words, the room was filled with silence. Roy eyed Linor and cleared his throat.

"You weren't with us when we discussed this, Major," The Colonel began, "But I think it's important to know that his most recent target was Brigadier General Basque Grand," Linor blanched.

"He attacked the Brigadier General?" Linor blurted.

"He killed the Brigadier General," Roy corrected, Linor leaning back on the couch in disbelief. She always knew the man was dangerous, but to have taken down a man as highly skilled as a Brigadier General… well, she was honestly surprised to have still been alive.

"Scar is not a joke," Roy informed seriously, "We can not allow ourselves to be killed for his cause. Next time, there will be no talk, you are to shoot on sight, understood?" A simultaneous agreement came from Roy's subordinates at his words.

"That is, if he remains in East City," Hughes replied, "We're not quite sure why he left Central in the first place." Hughes adjusted his glasses over his face. "He's becoming more unpredictable, and now that we're aware he's Ishvalan, who knows how he'll react. He's obviously tried to keep his identity a secret, so who's to say that he won't become even more reckless now that it's out?"

"As of right now, I don't think we can conclude much." Linor replied, "My best bet is that he'll stay on the down-low for a while, at least until he feels we've slowed down our search. He may be reckless, but he isn't dumb, you know that most of all."

"You're right, Major," Hughes praised with a subtle smile. "I suppose we'll have to wait." Trailing off, the Scar topic seemed to have ended for the moment. Hughes then pursed his lips, as if debating on whether or not to say his next words. "There are a few other things I would like to know however, Major Ziegler." He tentatively said.

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel?" Linor said with a questionable quirk of her brow.

'Why did you hide the fact that you were Ishvalan from me?'" Linor was taken aback by his question and narrowed her eyes before looking away.

"I mean, I wouldn't say I hid it from _you_, perse." She grumbled, knowing he probably felt like he was owed an explanation since the two had been working together for a while. "I don't see how that would have been important to our work..." Linor's voice suddenly held an undertone of irritation.

"Well it wouldn't have been, but it would have been nice to know," Hughes added as Linor trailed off. At that, a deep frown crept its way onto Linor's face.

"And why is that?" She quipped, the Lieutenant Colonel trying to find the right words to say. "With all due respect, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, would you have expected me to tell you what race I was if I were Amestrian?" The question clearly threw him off guard. She wasn't sure if his ignorance irritated her or not- the fact that Amestrians felt like they were owed an explanation if someone wasn't the same race as them, was underlying prejudice. But of course, she shouldn't have expected them to know that.

"I was admitted into the Amestrian Military with the consent of the Fuhrer," She began calmly, the heat rising in her face betraying her though. "I was put on the Scar case under Lieutenant Colonel Archer- at _his_ request- by General Hakuro. I am one of Lieutenant Colonel Archer's most reliable subordinates, have I not warranted the credibility to work on a case without bringing my race into it?" Linor's calm response gradually got louder until she had moved to the edge of her seat, her tanned, freckled face now beet red.

"Major, that's enough!" Roy barked, Linor's irritation immediately dwindling to embarrassment when she realized she was almost on the verge of yelling. Perhaps it was the stressful events of the night that had her nerves on edge, but she wasn't quite sure why she had exploded so quickly. She had been working with Hughes for a while and liked him well enough, so her outburst made her slink back in the couch shamefully.

"My apologies, Lieutenant Colonel," Linor muttered.

"No, you're right," Hughes began, holding up a hand in surrender, "that was the wrong way for me to phrase it. That was rude of me, I apologize." He admitted, his apologetic look quickly shifting to one of sly curiosity. "But if you aren't hiding it, why go through the trouble of trying to look like an Amestrian?" He asked, making Linor sigh; she wouldn't consider that an apology, but she couldn't deny the fact that he was right- she was hiding it, not from him, but from Amestris itself.

"You don't understand what it's like to walk down the street and be painfully aware that no one likes you just because you're Ishvalan." Linor muttered, casting her gaze downward. "I have to dye my hair and hide my own eyes just so I can walk down the street comfortably." Hughes remained silent after that- the whole room did. None of them understood the extra effort Linor had to go through to just be a 'normal' Amestrian citizen. "That's why I'm hiding it." She finalized, her trademark irises snapping up to meet his.

"I'm sorry," Hughes said sincerely, not expecting that to be her answer. "I was just curious, but it was not my place to ask," Linor simply shook her head.

"It's fine," She muttered, "I can understand why you would be curious. Not every Ishvalan runs around with black hair and with a name like Linor, after all." She exhaled, realizing that the only thing that for certain distinguished her as an Ishvalan was her eyes. Realizing she was getting subtle looks of pity, Linor shook the sorrow from her voice. "I'm sorry this conversation took such an awkward turn. You have more questions, right? I would be willing to answer any more you may have." She said, her gaze moving to Hughes.

"I think I've heard all I need to for now." He concluded, standing up from his spot on the leather couch. "It's getting late and I'm pretty sure we all could use some rest after tonight." Walking over to Linor, Hughes held out a hand. "It was nice to finally meet you in person, Major Zeigler." A small and apologetic smile graced his face and Linor returned it as she shook his hand.

"You as well, Sir." She replied, "I hope my little outburst didn't offend you, I'm looking forward to continuing to work on the Scar case with you."

"No, not at all!" Hughes belted honestly, "I appreciate you being such a good sport. I hope you'll forgive my ignorance."

"Of course, Sir," She said softly.


	7. Ch 7: Her Loyalty

_**September 12th, 1914**_

Tan fingers roughly rubbed the black-dyed, bunned-up tresses.

"This doesn't make any sense," Linor muttered, reclining cross-legged on Roy's office couch. Havoc and Hawkeye stood alongside Mustang's desk, the group discussing the lack of Scar's presence since their last encounter- no sightings, no murders, no whisper of anything. "It's been nearly a week- how could he have just… disappeared?" Jean carefully studied the map of East City on Roy's desk, the back of the Colonel's chair facing his guests as he looked out the window.

"Maybe he's not even in East City anymore?" Havoc suggested, earning a few disgruntled looks.

"I hope you're wrong about that," Roy replied, "This case has obviously gotten to be too much for Central to handle. If I can close it quickly enough, I'll be golden." Linor scoffed and eyed Roy as he swiveled in his chair to face them.

"So, you're planning on taking the case then," Linor affirmed, shooting him a cocked brow. A grin crossed the man's face.

"I've got a ladder to climb, Major, and this is how it's done. I need every mark in my favor that I can get. At least until I've assumed the office of Fuhrer, that is." Linor rolled her eyes as Riza and Jean smiled briskly.

"You might not want to display your ambitions quite so nakedly, sir." His Lieutenant informed though it seemed she said it out of obligation. Linor sighed at his bluntness and stroked the loose hairs back that her harsh rubbing let loose. She was well aware of the man's drive and while she was vocally against him saying such things so blatantly, she held too much admiration and respect for him to be anything but loyal.

"And you think I'm just going to hand over my knowledge about this case for you to take all the credit?" Linor drawled with a cheeky grin, though she held a bit of disappointment. "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes entrusted my division with helping him." Roy's dark eyes glimmered with amusement at her quip.

"You don't have to, Hughes will tell me, and I'll make sure to let the Fuhrer know that he was the one who helped me catch Scar." She narrowed her eyes at his retort, his hands folded in front of him and hiding his evident smirk.

"So, you've twisted my arm," Linor huffed, raising her hands and shrugging playfully. "You know, Archer won't be happy if he finds out."

"Well then I suppose it's best if he doesn't," Roy stated as if it were the simplest and most obvious thing in the world. Before Linor could reply, a harsh knock on the door interrupted them and then swung open quickly.

"Reporting in, sir!" A soldier bellowed breathlessly, Linor raising a brow at the urgency in his tone. "We've just received word of an explosion occurring on the Maro River!"

"What?" Roy barked, narrowing his eyes at the soldier. The lower-ranking officers looked at each other with concern as Roy swiftly swung open his drawer to snag a pair of his ignite gloves. "Lieutenants, you're coming with me," He ordered, pushing up out of his chair. "Major, can you have those files for me by the time I get back?" He asked brusquely, Linor quickly standing as he brushed past.

"Yes, sir," She saluted. "Are you sure you don't need back up? What if it's-"

"I doubt it's him," Roy interrupted, dismissing the foot soldier at the door. "Not in such a public place at this time, but I do need those files as soon as possible. Who knows when he'll show up again."

"Understood," Linor replied strongly, watching the three leave hastily.

#

Flipping through the alphabetical manila folders in her office drawer, Linor looked for Scar's case file.

"Just when we get a lead," She mumbled, snatching the folder she was looking for. "He wants to take it." Linor wasn't upset per se, but she was looking forward to being the one to help Hughes close the case. She was banking on the success to help her get brownie points in the trust department, but she was willing to let it go for Roy.

Just as she was about to close her file cabinet, a document paperclipped to the top of one of the manilla folders caught her eye- McDougall's case file. It was one paper, in particular, that wasn't just stored away into its respective folder- and for good reason.

Linor reached down to unclip the document and unfolded it carefully with Scar's file still in hand. It was the page referring to McDougall's use of Alkahestry. With a furrow of her brows and a thoughtful glance, Linor folded the paper back up and stuffed it into her uniform's pocket. Then flipping Scar's folder between her body and arm, she exited her office and coolly kicked the door shut behind her.

Linor's feet moved faster than normal, as did the thoughts in her head. The first couple of days after she heard of McDougall's case, Linor casually researched what she could on the odd phenomenon known as Alkahestry. However, her research got her a whole lot of nothing since finding any sort of information on it was nearly impossible- at least with her current resources.

Turning the corner swiftly, Linor had to stop so abruptly to not run into the person in front of her, that she almost stumbled backward.

"Oh, I'm so sorry-" Looking up, Linor sloppily jumped back and into a salute. "L-Lieutenant Colonel, sir!" She stuttered, a flush of red adorning her face at almost steamrolling over her commanding officer.

"Major Ziegler, what a pleasant surprise." The cool, leveled voice of her commanding officer immediately sent a shiver down her spine, as it always did. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" At his question, Linor faltered. She most certainly wasn't going to tell him she was helping Roy with the Scar case. If Roy closed the case before Archer did, she had no doubts he would be furious.

At her lack of immediate answer, his eyes trailed down her body to the folder in her other hand and a sharp brow was raised inquisitively. "Which reports are those?" Unconsciously gripping the folder a bit tighter, Linor shifted a bit anxiously and her toes curled in her boots.

"It's Scar's file, sir." She wanted to strangle herself. "I'm going down to the library to do some research." She added, hoping his intense gaze couldn't somehow read her mind.

"Oh?" He hummed, making her nervous. "What sort of research?" He inquired, Linor getting the feeling he wasn't actually interested.

"On his alchemy- Fullmetal mentioned something about him not using all the steps of the alchemy process. I thought maybe I could find something to help us take better precautions against him." Archer's lips tugged into an unnerving smile, a silence just long enough to make Linor uncomfortable passed between them.

"Very well," He finally said, the knowing smirk never leaving his face. "Smart woman," He then remarked, though Linor felt like his words held a deeper meaning than he let on. "Have a good day, Major." Archer cooed, striding past her just close enough to brush his shoulder against hers. After he had turned the corner and she heard his soft steps fade, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Damn that man," She muttered under her breath as she continued down the hallway. She could never understand why Frank Archer affected her in such a way- every time he entered the room, she felt her blood chill; any time his eyes met hers, she felt like she froze; his voice felt like needles pricking her skin and sending shivers down her spine. Fuhrer King Bradley made her feel the same way. 'Fear' was something she didn't quite want to call it, yet she couldn't seem to find the right word for the feelings they instilled in her; as if lying to them would be the biggest sin she'd ever commit, as if offending them would have the world crashing down on top of her… she supposed as her superiors, it made some sort of sense and yet, none of her other superiors gave her quite the same feeling that they did.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Linor pushed open the door to Roy's office. As she placed the folder on his desk, she paused. Quickly grabbing one of the unfinished papers from the other side, she placed it over the documents. Handing Roy her information on the case wasn't wrong or even prohibited, yet the anxiety Archer instilled in her made her feel as if doing so would get her in trouble. She hated feeling that way- as if every move she made on Roy's behalf was wrong; making her question everything she did for him.

Shoving her hands in her uniform pockets, Linor looked over her shoulder once more at the case file before leaving. Fiddling with the folded paper on McDougall in her pocket, Linor decided to head over to the Eastern Command library. She figured she'd try once again to find some information on the mysterious Alkahestry, plus, she'd have a good alibi for the dirty white lie she told Archer. A sudden chill brushed her spine, but she shook it off and continued, unaware of the crystal blue eyes watching her retreat down the hall without the manila folder under her arm.


	8. Ch 8: Her Trip

_**September 17th, 1914**_

It had almost been a week since the attack on the Maro River and Mustang's crew had been in a flurry. Now trying their best to find Scar, his new whereabouts and next move, they were busier than ever- especially since they had no luck in finding any information and it was making them both irritated and frantic.

Linor had been busy herself with other tasks- her main one keeping records of the latest casualties in Reole. The previous riots there had subsided momentarily once troops from Eastern City were deployed, but sparked back up not long after soldiers from Central were sent in. Linor silently questioned the decision from Central but had no intent on voicing it after finding it was a direct order from the Fuhrer himself.

Linor scribbled the new intelligence down on an already half-filled paper, a somber look on her face. '_Another forty-two casualties.'_ She thought, trying to add up the number of deaths from the turmoil. '_That brings it up to one-hundred and seventy-five now'_. Linor stared down at the number for a while, imagining how the once lovely city was probably now filled with rubble and blood. All of Edward's hard work in quelling the city's problems with Father Cornello had burst into flames… literally. Poor boy- Reole was his first real success as a State Alchemist and she could tell the news hit him hard.

A sudden ring of the phone tore Linor's attention away from the paper and she lifted it to her ear.

"Hello, Major Zeigler speaking." The alchemist spoke formally.

"Major!" A cheerful and familiar voice called quite loudly from the other end.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes," She greeted, a bit confused by his excited tone. Normally, Hughes would only call her to discuss any happening with Scar, but his cheerful tone suggested it was probably about something else. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"What, I can't make a friendly phone call?" The man joked over the line, Linor quirking a brow in question. As if sensing her skepticism, Hughes continued. "Okay, okay, sorry to disturb you from your super busy schedule but I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course, Lieutenant Colonel," Linor replied with confusion, her tone almost coming off as a question.

"As you're well aware, Central Library was a victim of arson this last week." Linor's eyes rolled to the back of her head at this. How could she forget- she had planned to visit Central when she got the chance in pursuit for more information about Alkahestry, but the demise of the extensive library was nothing short of a shitty coincidence for her.

"Of course, quite an unfortunate event," Linor replied with a growl, her sunglasses being pushed up from the irritated rub of her face.

"Indeed it is," Hughes agreed, "Many important records were lost, but-" Now she had a feeling where this was going. "-Eastern Command has quite a few copies that would really help us out."

"Is there a reason you decided to call _me_ to send the documents, Lieutenant Colonel?" Linor asked, "Wouldn't General Hakuro be the better choice?" She was really hoping it wasn't going in the direction she thought it was...

"Oh, you misunderstand me, Major," Hughes chuckled seemingly menacingly. "I don't want the documents sent here, I want them duplicated." Another roll of her eyes and a silent sigh, Linor lolled her head back in her chair.

"Lieutenant Colonel, with all due respect, I don't think I'm the best one suited for this work." Linor tried not to grumble back. She was a busy woman and duplicating files was last on the list of things she'd like to be doing.

"On the contrary, Major. I think you are the perfect candidate for this job." It was then Hughes' voice hushed down to a mere whisper. "Besides, I heard from a little birdie that you have some interesting information stored in your back pocket." Linor stiffened at his words and shot a side glance at the phone to her ear. "Oh, don't worry, Major, I won't tell." Hughes nearly laughed, returning back to his normal tone. "So what'd ya say, Major Zeigler?" She didn't want to. She wanted to refuse his job offer, but she couldn't help the nagging in the back of her mind that she needed to accept because of what he knew about her withholding information.

"... Very well, Lieutenant Colonel." Linor said seriously after a short silence. "I need to inform my commanding officer and see-"

"No need," He interrupted jovially. "I knew you would come through for me, so I've already made the arrangements with General Hakuro for you." Linor pursed her lips at the devilish laughter that came from the phone.

"Oh, isn't that convenient?" She quipped, "Very well, I'll look into when the next train leaves for Central."

"Already done," Hughes replied almost proudly. "I've booked a seat for you for the first train in; tomorrow morning, 6 o'clock." This sly bastard really had everything planned before he even called her. Linor wasn't sure if she should have been impressed or annoyed. She settled for being annoyed. She shouldn't have been surprised though, considering he was best friends with Mustang, and it made her wonder if Roy learned it from him, or if he learned it from Roy. Or perhaps they were both just sly bastards naturally.

"Well then, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow."

"Until then, Major!" Hughes nearly cooed before Linor could finish. Almost slamming the phone back on the receiver, Linor groaned loudly. Hughes really was something else. Tiling her shades down her nose a bit to take a glance at the clock, Linor took a sip of her lukewarm coffee and stood from her desk. It was almost time for her lunch break, but she figured she would get ready for her last-minute trip to Central. Hughes didn't give her a time frame on how long she would be staying, but she could make a decent guess that it would be around a week's worth of work.

Making sure to grab her coffee off her desk before she left, Linor sighed. She figured she would ask Archer if she could take the rest of the day off to prepare for her trip- she was dreading that. Archer never liked her to take days off since she was one of- if not his _most-_ reliable subordinate. She was honestly surprised he hadn't confronted her about her trip and it made her wonder if he knew she was leaving or if Hughes had only had the foresight to run it by General Hakuro. She wasn't sure if she would rather have him be irritated when she confronted him or if she would rather tell him herself. They both seemed like bad options.

Opening her door to leave her office, Linor jumped and nearly screamed when Falman stood on the other side, his hand up in a motion to knock.

"Geezus, Falman!" Linor gasped, her free hand over her pounding chest. Her eyes shooting down to her clothes and floor to make sure she didn't spill her coffee. "You scared me." The Warrant Officer- who Linor had noticed jumped in fright himself- scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry 'bout that, Major." He apologized, an embarrassed flush on his cheeks. "I just came to ask how you were doing. We haven't seen much of you lately." Linor raised a brow for a moment before realizing that she had indeed been scarce as of late. It had been over two weeks since her and the Elric's run-in with Scar and in that time she had only hung around Mustang's crew a handful of times.

"Oh, I guess you're right," Linor muttered, "I suppose I've been a bit busy, but thank you for checking up on me, I'm fine."

"That's good…" He muttered, trailing off as if that was all he had come for. "Uh, I mean if you're about to go to lunch, we were going to head out to Meierei." At the mention of the small cafe, Linor's lips pursed.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Falman." Linor siad, feeling a bit bad for declining. "You know I don't like eating out." Falman's face visibly dropped at her answer.

"Right, I just wanted to extend the offer." He responded a bit despondently. A brief and uncomfortable silence passed between them, before Falman cleared his throat. "Well, I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Major. Hope to see you back with us soon." Before Falman could turn and leave, Linor quickly reached out to grip his shoulder.

"Falman, wait," She breathed, her gut now wracked with guilt. "I can't join you guys for lunch, but…" She took a deep breath and sighed, only slightly regretting what she was about to say. "I'll be leaving for Central early tomorrow, so if you want, you can ask everyone if they want to meet up for breakfast."

"Central?" Falman asked in surprise, completely brushing over her offer that she had to force herself to say. Though she couldn't blame him; in all the years she had worked in the military, she hadn't once left for a trip- business or otherwise.

"Yeah, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes requested my assistance." She explained, letting both her hands cup her coffee mug and going back to her offer before she took it back. "My train leaves at six. We could all meet up at Haus at like, five since it's right by the station." She could tell Falman was still shocked at her sudden trip to Central… or was it that she actually suggested eating out? She wasn't certain, but she cleared her throat when he remained silent. "Or if it's too early, we can figure something out when I get back. I know your guys' shifts don't start until-"

"No!" Falman blurted suddenly, making Linor jump. "I- I mean, breakfast sounds great. I was just surprised you suggested it." Linor awkwardly laughed and scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah, well, it'll be early so it won't be too crowded and… I feel like I owe you guys." She admitted. "I can suck it up for an hour to have breakfast with some friends." Falman cracked a smile then.

"I'll let the guys know then," He said gently, "Haus at five," Linor chuckled and repeated his words, waving Falman a friendly goodbye.


End file.
